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Arsenal will want to avoid any chances of losing ground on Manchester City in the title race when they take on Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta’s side go into the weekend one point ahead of his former club, although the defending champions have a game in hand.
It has been two decades since Arsenal last won a Premier League title, and they have won all six of their home league matches against Bournemouth.
Arsenal came through arguably their toughest test of their title run-in, against Tottenham last weekend, but they cannot afford any slip ups against a side who have recorded back-to-back victories against Brighton and Wolves.
Follow all the live action in the blog below, and get the latest Arsenal vs Bournemouth predictions and odds here.
Arsenal learn key title race lesson in nerve-shredding Bournemouth win
A scoreline that would have been predicted, but from a match that shredded nerves. Arsenal may not know if they will be Premier Leaguechampions, but they certainly know what it’s like to be pushed to the edgein a run-in. Bournemouth more than did their bit in a 3-0 Arsenal win that, for the moment, puts them four points clear of Manchester City but with two more games played.
The expectation that Pep Guardiola’s team will just go and win their four remaining matches hung over everything but especially Bukayo Saka’s 45th-minute penalty. If you wanted a scene to capture the deepest tension in a stadium, this was it.
Bournemouth were certainly drawing a sweat, putting everything into this. That is why there was such tension, and such relief – as well as maybe why Havertz took the opportunity in the way they did.
Arsenal weren’t yet desperate but they were getting increasingly frantic. It was a vintage run-in game in that sense, where the stakes brought even more out of a good opposition side. Bournemouth weren’t going to just be fodder in a run-in. They gave Arsenal a much tougher challenge than either Chelsea or Tottenham did.
Arsenal learn key title race lesson in nerve-shredding Bournemouth win
Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth: The Gunners were made to sweat by a stubborn Cherries side by ultimately held serve in the Premier League title race
Arteta speaks to the media
It’s the Arsenal manager’s turn to speak to the media, and he starts by saying that he “never expected an easy game”.
“It was the best first half we’ve played all season. We were unbelievable. We could have scored four or five, but only got one. Credit to Bournemouth.”
He goes on to say that he hasn’t seen any of the VAR decisions, as well as adding that “Kai doesn’t dive”.
He adds that he “will be there sitting with my kids and my family” while City play, before hailing the impacts of both Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
On the former, he says that he sees “a different edge to him in the way he competes. He loves winning more than three months ago.”
On Rice and his attacking contribution, he replies: “Sometimes it’s not easy to adapt to different positions so I think he deserves a lot of credit for doing that.”
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures – Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool?
With that result, Arsenal are four points ahead of Manchester City, who now have two games in hand. Pep Guardiola’s side play Wolves at 5.30pm today.
Below is a run-down of each team’s remaining fixtures as we approach a nail-biting end to the season.
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures in the run-in?
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all have tricky tests to pass as the Premier League title race enter its final weeks, but who has the best run-in?
Kai Havertz was next in front of the TNT cameras.
The Germany international says that “it was a tough game”, adding that Arsenal “had lots of chances in the first half but we didn’t manage to score them”.
“They are a good team, fair play to them. In the end, we are happy with the three points and three goals too.
On the penalty decision, he said: “I haven’t seen the replay but I think he touches me.
“I felt the contact and went down. For me it’s a penalty. I said to the goalkeeper ‘you touched me’.”
Joe Cole and Martin Keown ask him about his improvements over the season, to which he replies: “I just enjoy it on the pitch right now. It’s so nice. I have so many good players behind me and I really enjoy the number nine role.
“I enjoy every second. He [Mikel Arteta] taught me so many things, especially at the start when it was tough for me. I’m so glad I was here. Things were hard at a the start but everyone stuck by me.
“We have two more games to play and we are going to give everything. We’ll enjoy those games and see how it goes.”
Ipswich win promotion to the Premier League!
The final day of the (pre-playoffs) Championship season has taken place early this afternoon too.
Ipswich won promotion to the Premier League after a 2-0 win against Huddersfield, while Leeds missed out on automatic promotion.
Birmingham City were relegated despite winning, while Huddersfield were also condemned to relegation.
You can read more about that final day below.
Ipswich Town vs Huddersfield Town LIVE: Reaction as hosts reach Premier League
Follow all the action from Portman Road
FT: Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
Man of the match Declan Rice is first in front of the TNT Sport cameras.
He says that the game “was domination”, but that “it was a big result because they’ve been in some top form, they’re a good team”.
“Goal, assist and three points, it’s just what we needed. I’m delighted,” he added.
Asked if it felt like it could be ‘one of those days’ before the Saka penalty, Rice replied: ““It can. You look back at the Villa game, the other week when we had a few [chances] in the first half. I still think we can improve in the second half, could’ve been a bit more composed. But to win 3-0, get it over the line, it leads into next week and we are ready for it.”
“We’re embracing it. City are a machine, but we can only focus on us. We’ve had an unbelievable 2024, so look, anything can happen in football, surprises happen, miracles happen, we’ve just got to stay focused.”
FT: Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth
98 mins: Shortly after Rice’s goal, David Coote blows the whistle. Another successful day for Arsenal, and despite some potentially controversial VAR decisions, you can’t deny it’s a deserved result for the current league leaders.
Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth
96 mins: GOAL! A deserved one for Declan Rice.
Arsenal win the ball in their half and Odegaard starts the counter, passing it across to Jesus. He holds the ball up on the edge of the box and spots the run from Rice; he slips it to him and his touch takes it past the defender before he blasts it past Travers!
Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth
95 mins: A late challenge from Christie on Odegaard, and he is finally booked. The fact that it’s taken this long is in itself poor refereeing from David Coote.
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